What is WOWEXEC.EXE? It is running on my computer and the Task Manager shows it 1st on the list, with nothing in the Mem Usage column. Also, it is shown as (sp)wowexec.exe.
Windows XP SP2 with all updates running.
Most likely, this is what it is: wowexec.exe Windows Process Information. Is it Safe or Virus?
In a nutshell, it’s a process that Windows uses to emulate 16-bit mode, for certain applications.
LilShieste
You might be able to see what process is being run through wowexec.exe with a utility like Process Explorer. It should show the process started by wowexec under it. (Maybe, I can’t test it because I don’t know of something that uses it)
Either way, it’s a better utility for investigating running processes on your system.
Thanks folks for your help.
I know it’s already been answered. But anytime you want to look something up that you found in your tasklist check out http://www.answersthatwork.com/
Wowexec only starts when you run some 16-bit program. It’ll then stay running until you reboot. As you noticed, it’s designed to minimize its RAM use when inactive, so it’s not harmful to leave it running.
Unless you have old 16 bit software you’re explicitly running, the common cause for wowexec starting is you doing a software installation. many of the popular install tools have a small 16-bit component in them that starts up first, just to say, “Sorry, this program needs Windows 95 or later; it’ won’t run on Windows 3.1”. If you have a 32-bit system (ie Win95 or later), then the 16-bit part starts the real 32-bt installer & quits without the message. But meanwhile it has triggered wowexec.
Such is the life of commercial software, where a useful feature from 1995-1997 that was obsolecent in 1998 is still embedded in new programs every day in 2007.
That or just type the name of the program that is running in a Google search and it’ll hand you numerous sites with the answer.
Thanks to all of you for your impeccable insight! 
I’ll take “legitimate processes that sound like malware” for 400, please.
Seriously, when I opened this thread, I thought wowexec.exe was going to be some sort of spyware scam or something. I never even connected it with the old [16-bit] Windows on [32-bit] Windows execution environment.
Note that a WOW subsystem turns up on 64 bit windows as well, allowing you to run 32 bit executables in the 64 bit environment. The thunking process that will turn up in 64 bit Vista lists is “splwow64.exe”.
(“thunking” is name given to mapping machine data from one address space to another.)